WEST BOUNTIFUL — “The world’s just a little less bright with him gone.”

That mini-tribute was given about Jerry Thompson, who passed away at the age of 81 on Tuesday.

“Even up at the hospital, when he went in Thursday, he was talking to everybody he could, had a smile and still winked at everybody,” said his son, Terry, of Centerville.

Jerry Thompson served two terms as mayor of West Bountiful in the early 1970s and again in the late 1980s. Prior to that, he had been on the city council.

In addition, the Salt Lake City native was a South Davis Sewer District board member, serving until Dec. 31 of last year. Professionally, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service, including service as the Kaysville Postmaster for many years.

“He was a great dad,” Terry Thompson said. “He was a lot of fun; we had a lot of good times together. We lived on Wicker Lane and then about 1959 moved to the Burnham Duck Club, and he managed that along with his Postal work.

“He loved fishing and hunting and the out-of-doors,” his son said. The family had a cabin near Flaming Gorge — which was particularly enjoyed by Jerry and his late wife, Evelyn Hauser Thompson — “that he and mom thought was their little paradise where they could have quiet time together.

“He was a people person and could talk to anyone about anything,” his son added.

Thompson helped leave a lasting imprint on West Bountiful, former City Administrator Wendell Wild said.

“He was really well connected and had a lot of vision for the direction the city was going,” Wild said. “He was instrumental in working with Bountiful City, back when we brought the West Bountiful Gateway Development in” as well as laying the groundwork for the West Bountiful Commons.

“He was just a good person to work with,” said Karma Forbes, who was a co-worker of Thompson’s at the Post Office. “He was always happy.”

South Davis Sewer District manager Dale Wayment, who commented about the world being less bright, now, called Thompson “a really positive, upbeat kind of guy.”

Funeral services will be held Friday, Oct.16, at 11 a.m. at the West Bountiful 2nd Ward Chapel, 850 N. 800 West, with viewing Thursday, 6-8 p.m. at Russon Brothers Mortuary in Bountiful, and Friday, 9:45-10:45 a.m. at the church.

Interment will be at Bountiful City Cemetery.